User input passive device and interactive display device touchscreen system

Abstract

A touchscreen system includes a user input passive device including a shell, a non-conductive supporting surface, an impedance circuit, a first conductive, and a second conductive plate. A first terminal of the impedance circuit is coupled to the first conductive plate and a second terminal of the impedance circuit is coupled to the second conductive plate. The touchscreen system further includes an interactive display device including a touchscreen, a plurality of electrodes, and a plurality of drive-sense circuits. When the user input passive device is used in close proximity with the touchscreen one or more of the shell and the first and second conductive plates cause changes in electrical characteristics of a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes. A set of drive sense circuits coupled to the set of electrodes is operable to generate a set of signals representative of the changes in electrical characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A touchscreen system comprises:
 a user input passive device including:
 a housing including:
 a shell; and 
 a non-conductive supporting surface coupled to the shell; 
 
 an impedance circuit having a desired impedance at a desired frequency; 
 a first conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell; and 
 a second conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell and from the first conductive plate, wherein a first terminal of the impedance circuit is coupled to the first conductive plate and a second terminal of the impedance circuit is coupled to the second conductive plate; and 
 
 an interactive display device including:
 a touchscreen including an interactive surface; 
 a plurality of electrodes integrated into the interactive surface, wherein, when the user input passive device is used in close proximity with the touchscreen:
 a perimeter of the shell is in close proximity to the interactive surface; 
 the first and second conductive plates are in close proximity to the interactive surface; and 
 one or more of the shell and the first and second conductive plates cause changes in electrical characteristics of a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes; and 
 
 a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to the plurality of electrodes, wherein a set of drive sense circuits is coupled to the set of electrodes, and wherein the set of drive sense circuits is operable to generate a set of signals representative of the changes in electrical characteristics. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive display device further includes:
 a processing module operable to:
 receive, from the set of drive-sense circuits, a plurality of signals representative of the changes in the electrical characteristics of the set of electrodes; 
 interpret the plurality of signals as a plurality of impedance values representative of the electrical characteristics; and 
 interpret the plurality of impedance values as one or more user input passive device inputs. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The touchscreen system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more user input passive device inputs include one or more of:
 user input passive device identification; 
 orientation; 
 user function; and 
 user instruction. 
 
     
     
       4. The touchscreen system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing module is operable to interpret the plurality of impedance values as one or more of:
 a plurality of direct impedance values; and 
 a plurality of relative impedance values. 
 
     
     
       5. The touchscreen system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing module is operable to interpret the plurality of impedance values as one or more user input passive device inputs by:
 interpreting the plurality of impedance values as a pattern, wherein the pattern corresponds to one or more user input passive device inputs. 
 
     
     
       6. The touchscreen system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing module is operable to interpret the plurality of impedance values as one or more user input passive device inputs by:
 determining a location of the plurality of impedance values, wherein the location corresponds to one or more user input passive device inputs. 
 
     
     
       7. The touchscreen system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing module is operable to interpret the plurality of impedance values as one or more user input passive device inputs by:
 determining a location and a pattern of the plurality of impedance values, wherein the location and the pattern correspond to one or more user input passive device inputs. 
 
     
     
       8. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the shell includes one or more of:
 a conductive material; 
 a non-conductive material; and 
 a dielectric material. 
 
     
     
       9. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the user input passive device further includes:
 a switch mechanism mounted on the housing, wherein the impedance circuit has a first desired impedance at the desired frequency when the switch mechanism is in a first state and has a second desired impedance at the desired frequency when the switch mechanism is in a second state. 
 
     
     
       10. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the impedance circuit comprises:
 an inductor; and 
 a capacitor coupled to the inductor in series, wherein the series coupling of the inductor and the capacitor resonant at the desired frequency. 
 
     
     
       11. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the impedance circuit comprises:
 an inductor; and 
 a capacitor coupled to the inductor in parallel, wherein the parallel coupling of the inductor and the capacitor resonant at the desired frequency. 
 
     
     
       12. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the impedance circuit comprises one or more resistors. 
     
     
       13. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the impedance circuit comprises one or more capacitors. 
     
     
       14. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the impedance circuit comprises one or more inductors. 
     
     
       15. The touchscreen system of  claim 1 , wherein the user input passive device further comprises:
 a second impedance circuit having the desired impedance at a second desired frequency; 
 a third conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell, from the first conductive plate, and the second conductive plate; and 
 a fourth conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell, from the first conductive plate, from the second conductive plate, and from the third conductive plate, wherein a first terminal of the second impedance circuit is coupled to the third conductive plate and a second terminal of the second impedance circuit is coupled to the fourth conductive plate, wherein, when the user input passive device is used with the touchscreen, the third and fourth conductive plates are in close proximity to the interactive surface of the touchscreen. 
 
     
     
       16. The touchscreen system of  claim 15 , wherein the user input passive device further comprises:
 the first and second conductive plates being positioned within a first area of the non-conductive supporting surface; and 
 the third and fourth conductive plates being positioned within a second area of the non-conductive supporting surface, wherein the first and second areas provide orientation information regarding positioning of the user input passive device on the interactive surface of the touchscreen. 
 
     
     
       17. The user input passive device of  claim 15  further comprises:
 a third impedance circuit having the desired impedance at a third desired frequency; 
 a fifth conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell, from the first conductive plate, and the second conductive plate; and 
 a sixth conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell, from the first conductive plate, from the second conductive plate, from the third conductive plate, from the fourth conductive plate, and from the fifth conductive plate, wherein a first terminal of the third impedance circuit is coupled to the fifth conductive plate and a second terminal of the third impedance circuit is coupled to the sixth conductive plate, wherein, when the user input passive device is used with the touchscreen, the fifth and sixth conductive plates are in in close proximity to the interactive surface of the touchscreen. 
 
     
     
       18. The user input passive device of  claim 1 , wherein the changes in electrical characteristics includes one or more of:
 a change in self capacitance; 
 a change in mutual capacitance; and 
 a change in frequency. 
 
     
     
       19. A touchscreen system comprises:
 a user input passive device including:
 a housing including:
 a shell; and 
 a non-conductive supporting surface coupled to the shell; 
 
 an impedance circuit having a desired impedance at a desired frequency; 
 a first conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell; and 
 a second conductive plate mounted on the non-conductive supporting surface and electrically isolated from the shell and from the first conductive plate, wherein a first terminal of the impedance circuit is coupled to the first conductive plate and a second terminal of the impedance circuit is coupled to the second conductive plate; 
 
 an interactive display device including:
 a touchscreen including an interactive surface; 
 a plurality of electrodes integrated into the interactive surface, wherein, when the user input passive device is used in close proximity with the touchscreen:
 a perimeter of the shell is in close proximity to the interactive surface; 
 the first and second conductive plates are in close proximity to the interactive surface; and 
 one or more of the shell and the first and second conductive plates cause changes in electrical characteristics of a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes; and 
 
 a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to the plurality of electrodes, wherein a set of drive sense circuits is coupled to the set of electrodes, and wherein the set of drive sense circuits is operable to generate a set of signals representative of the changes in electrical characteristics; and 
 
 a processing module operable to:
 receive, from the set of drive-sense circuits, a plurality of signals representative of the changes in the electrical characteristics of the set of electrodes; 
 interpret the plurality of signals as a plurality of impedance values representative of the electrical characteristics; and 
 interpret the plurality of impedance values as one or more user input passive device inputs.